What is 'thinking', anyway?

The scientific, modern Western mind seeks to verify everything it notices. I see it as a rodent-like creature, running up and down a checklist, feverishly comparing data, to find a match.If a match can not be found, the mind discards is as non-existent, stupid, irrelevant, a ‘straw-man’, etc.

This is part of the modern malaise; if something is not already accepted, popularly, as being true, then it can’t be. Positively Medieval.This list-checking has become what people refer to as ‘thinking’, when in fact, it is no such thing.Come to think of it, I am no longer sure what ‘thinking’ actually is; I do so little of it, any more.At some point, man started walking upright.Perhaps that is what will eventually happen with the mind; there when you need it, but not the best way of getting around.

What is 'thinking'? Can you describe it? Do you feel it should sit at the apex of what men can do?

Phoenix

In my paradigm, it's important to distinguish between thinking, awareness and aloofness.

Thinking can be deliberate if you mean to do it, or automatic if the thoughts arise without your specific intent, and may be described as running words and sentences through your head.

Awareness falls into a wide range of conscious and unconscious awareness and consists of being cognizant or understanding of things without verbalizing it into actual words and sentences. For example, you are aware that you are sitting on a chair, that what the chair is on is a floor, and that you're on a planet circling the sun, but you do not constantly affirm or remind yourself of these notions by verbalizing them in your mind and thinking "I am on Earth and am rotating around the sun". Or for another example if a woman is very rude to you, you may verbalize in your mind the word "bitch", which is thinking, or you may immediately recognize what she's about (as far as your paradigm is concerned) which is awareness - in this case you probably could not verbalize the awareness because it's tons of concepts and cannot be quickly summarized in a few words.. unless you have simple stereotypes about women. You may think and be aware simultaneously.

Then there's aloofness, like when you zone out, which is lack of awareness of your surroundings and / or your inner and outer self self. It generally increases as thinking increases, arising simultaneously alongside thinking and to the detriment of awareness. The problem with thinking is that it's so crude and dense that it blocks out awareness, and can take a life of its own.

I think back to when my thoughts carried themselves on independently of my conscious direction of them, and it's difficult for me to remember how it was because it's such an axiomatically different state than the one I live now. It makes me very grateful to not be like that anymore!

The scientific, modern Western mind seeks to verify everything it notices. I see it as a rodent-like creature, running up and down a checklist, feverishly comparing data, to find a match.If a match can not be found, the mind discards is as non-existent, stupid, irrelevant, a ‘straw-man’, etc.

This is part of the modern malaise; if something is not already accepted, popularly, as being true, then it can’t be. Positively Medieval.This list-checking has become what people refer to as ‘thinking’, when in fact, it is no such thing.Come to think of it, I am no longer sure what ‘thinking’ actually is; I do so little of it, any more.At some point, man started walking upright.Perhaps that is what will eventually happen with the mind; there when you need it, but not the best way of getting around.

What is 'thinking'? Can you describe it? Do you feel it should sit at the apex of what men can do?

A modern scientific approach is not rodent like, and you're misusing strawman here, inserting it into a context it wouldn't fit if you were not trying to undermine the fact the charge was laid against hours ago. Stop making new threads just to "get back" at your "oppressors".

I still see some good inside you. Perhaps like a naive teacher in the ghetto, lecturing with her brightest English lit student. But there is some potential. But your own concepts of comfort and self worth are too tied into your notions of spirituality. And attacks on them bother you greatly.

Maybe metal isn't for you.

Logged

Phoenix

The scientific, modern Western mind seeks to verify everything it notices. I see it as a rodent-like creature, running up and down a checklist, feverishly comparing data, to find a match.If a match can not be found, the mind discards is as non-existent, stupid, irrelevant, a ‘straw-man’, etc.

This is part of the modern malaise; if something is not already accepted, popularly, as being true, then it can’t be. Positively Medieval.This list-checking has become what people refer to as ‘thinking’, when in fact, it is no such thing.Come to think of it, I am no longer sure what ‘thinking’ actually is; I do so little of it, any more.At some point, man started walking upright.Perhaps that is what will eventually happen with the mind; there when you need it, but not the best way of getting around.

What is 'thinking'? Can you describe it? Do you feel it should sit at the apex of what men can do?

A modern scientific approach is not rodent like, and you're misusing strawman here, inserting it into a context it wouldn't fit if you were not trying to undermine the fact the charge was laid against hours ago. Stop making new threads just to "get back" at your "oppressors".

I still see some good inside you. Perhaps like a naive teacher in the ghetto, lecturing with her brightest English lit student. But there is some potential. But your own concepts of comfort and self worth are too tied into your notions of spirituality. And attacks on them bother you greatly.

Maybe metal isn't for you.

I think you should just drop it and ignore him, you two aren't going to get along any time soon, you think?

I thought about it. But that type of simian behavior typically never endured on these boards before, and considering the place is pretty slow nowdays.I might as well adopt the tactics he is using and either capitulate him into a respectable human being, or otherwise eliminate him entirely.Social Darwinism. He drew his sword, and will thus be slain by it.The golden rule. The goose-gander effect. Don't start nothin' won't be nothing.Hail Satan.

The scientific, modern Western mind seeks to verify everything it notices. I see it as a rodent-like creature, running up and down a checklist, feverishly comparing data, to find a match.If a match can not be found, the mind discards is as non-existent, stupid, irrelevant, a ‘straw-man’, etc.

From my experience in the sciences, this view seems woefully misguided. I only see this type of thinking in internet "experts" and Asperger types.

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What is 'thinking'? Can you describe it?

In the most basic sense, I would define thinking as simply information processing and pattern recognition.

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Do you feel it should sit at the apex of what men can do?

I assume by men you mean literally only males, as women can't really think. They are overly emotional and bad drivers. To answer your question, though, I don't know. I guess so.

Lest you cast me as an 'aspie' which I am not, I was not referring to scientists, as you seem to have assumed. I referred to the way most Westerners think: in what they assume to be 'scientific' terms. That is to say: demanding proof for absolutely everything, before they will consider it. Proof supplied by somebody else, of course

I was not referring to scientists, as you seem to have assumed. I referred to the way most Westerners think: in what they assume to be 'scientific' terms.

Fair enough. But whenever people use the term scientific, I can only immediately assume they are speaking of actual scientists. Perhaps this is a flaw in my character, but it isn't going away.

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That is to say: demanding proof for absolutely everything, before they will consider it. Proof supplied by somebody else, of course

Yeah, that sounds exactly like every god damn internet "expert." The really funny thing is, when I was young and naive and new to the whole experience of the internet, I used to actually provide legitimate, peer-reviewed studies and meta-analyses to persuade people. It turns out, they won't even read the fucking things.